A method of transferring facsimile data which is memory stored in a receiving facsimile terminal and then transmitted to another facsimile terminal, is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication HEI 2-260940. A method of selecting a facsimile service function is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication HEI 3-108949.
In the former facsimile transmission method, subaddress information is sent from a sending facsimile terminal and received by a facsimile terminal. A file number is read from a file number memory at the receiving facsimile terminal which is associated with the subaddress information, and then the received information is stored in a corresponding file within an image data memory with the associated file number. After the received information is stored into the file, a call is made to a designation terminal which has been registered at the receiving machine in correspondence with that file number, and then the received facsimile information is retransmitted to that designated terminal.
In the latter facsimile transmission method, subaddress information is sent from the transmitting facsimile device to designate a service function to be performed by the receiving facsimile device. The extracted subaddress information is compared at the receiving facsimile terminal with a list of previously stored subaddress information and a service function which corresponds to the transmitted subaddress and is to be executed by a communication manager is selected from the list.
The above methods of registering a destination in correspondence to subaddress information beforehand in a system for transferring memory transmitted data to another facsimile terminal, or a method of selecting a service function at a receiving side out from a list based on the subaddress information received, have been employed in a communication method which is based on the ITU-T Recommendation T. 30 protocol. However, the subaddress notification used is effective only between those facsimile machines which can transmit and receive the subaddress, and a terminal which can not transmit a subaddress can not in turn communicate using a subaddress in any one of the foregoing methods.
Also, a TSI (sending terminal identification) in a G3 facsimile machine is what is registered therein at a time of its installation and the TSI can not be rewritten every time a call is made from the machine. Therefore, it has been necessary in such terminals to designate a call number of a called party after first resetting the TSI in accordance with a desired subaddress message.
Still further, when a sending terminal identification number and a subaddress are to be set in a facsimile terminal capable of handling subaddress information, the symbols "#, *, +, (space)," etc. are conceivable for identifying message boundaries, but under the provisions of the T. 30 recommendations the use of the symbols "#, *" is not allowed. Therefore, there has been a problem that a boundary between a sending terminal number and subaddress can not be created in a facsimile terminal in which input data is entered by a ten key keyboard containing only the symbols (0-9), #, and *.
Still further, in a facsimile server system in which a communication line is connected to the outside world, e.g., the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and terminals which are selected by a subaddress designation are connected locally or inside a facsimile facility containing the server, the only method for a transmission from the outside line to plural terminals on the inside is by assigning a separate subaddress to each one of the terminals for communication. Thus, when a facsimile transmission is to be received by plural terminals, it must be retransmitted for each.
Still further, a designation of services by using a subaddress has been limited to a method of transmitting to the destinations which have been registered in correspondence to a subaddress, and a method of selecting a service function or other special service for a receiving facsimile terminal using a subaddress has not been available.
The present invention has been designed to overcome the foregoing problems.
Thus, a first object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for facsimile communication in which services can be provided by using subaddress information without restriction imposed by the type of equipment used at a transmitting side.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for facsimile communication which can designate a subaddress within the TSI (sending terminal identification) at the same time as a designation of a call number of a receiving facsimile terminal is made.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for facsimile communication which can perform a proper subaddress notification, using the ITU-T recommendation T. 30 even with facsimile terminals which support only a ten-key keyboard.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for facsimile communication in which a transmission can be made with a subaddress being added, even with an existing facsimile terminal which does not have a subaddress capability.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for facsimile communication in which a broadcasting is possible using a single facsimile transmission, even when a broadcast is to be made to plural terminals connected to a facsimile server from an outside line.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for facsimile communication in which a translation of a message into various languages, or other transformation functions, at a receiving facsimile terminal can be designated by designating a subaddress from outside.
In one aspect of the invention the foregoing objectives are achieved by providing a method of facsimile communication in which a first facsimile terminal transmits to a second facsimile terminal image information and designates the image information to be provided as a service, e.g., a broadcast service. The second terminal, in turn, stores that image information and provides the communication service designated in the subaddress to one or more terminals to which it is connected. When the first facsimile terminal makes its transmission, a subaddress composed of a number of digits is added to a sending terminal identification (TSI) message within the transmission procedure, so that the second facsimile terminal detects the subaddress added to the sending terminal identification and performs the service, e.g., broadcast, based on the content of the subaddress message.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a facsimile communication system having a first facsimile terminal transmitting image information and designating it through a subaddress message to be provided as a service, and a second facsimile machine storing that image information and performing a designated service to one or more terminals connected thereto in accordance with the content of the subaddress message. The first and second facsimile machines have registering means for a number of a called party and function to rewrite a subaddress within the sending terminal identification (TSI) together with the number of the other party at a time of call-out of the image for transmission, or at time of memory registration of the image for later transmission.
In another aspect, the invention further employs a subaddress registering means which registers the subaddress within the TSI with the TSI and subaddress being entered by a ten key keyboard (0-9) and with use of the symbols (#, *) to distinguish the remainder of the TSI from the subaddress, and at a time of call-out of a called number and an image for transmission, or during a memory registration of the image for later transmission, the TSI is sent out after first converting the `#` or `*` symbols to a `+` or other permitted symbol.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a facsimile adapter device which can be connected to an analog communication network such as the conventional PSTN and to a facsimile terminal (local facsimile) to couple them together. The adapter includes means for recognizing DTMF (dial tone and multi-frequency) signals within a transmission procedure and storing the same; and transmitting means for transmitting the DTMF signals. The adapter is operated so that when the local facsimile seeks to make a subaddress transmission, a DTMF is sent out and a connection is made with a called communication terminal at the called party, and at a time of transmission of the TSI from the local facsimile terminal, the TSI is first fetched and held by the adapter, and the subaddress is added to the TSI by the adapter, and then the TSI by the adapter is transmitted.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a facsimile server which is connected to a communication line as its external line and can select an internal terminal by designating a subaddress or its internal line. This facsimile server includes a means for registering subaddresses for the terminals of the internal line, the subaddresses designating a broadcasting, and transmitting means for making a broadcast communication to each terminal registered in the subaddress registering means when a designation with subaddress is received from a sending facsimile terminal through the external line.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a communication system connected to a communication line which transmits and receives a subaddress, and includes a processing means for transforming received data from one form to another, e.g., language translation, graphic to text, etc., control means for receiving data transmitted by another facsimile machine which has requested the transformation service, and a subaddress which designates the transformation service to be performed, and for directing that processing means to transform the data based on the designation of the subaddress; and transmitting means for transmitting the data transformed by the processing means to the facsimile machine which made the request.
In the present invention, since an address notification is made within the TSI (sending terminal identification), services using the subaddress can be obtained without limiting the types of equipment which can be used at the transmitting side by supporting a subaddress receiving function within the TSI at a receiving side. Also, a subaddress designation within the TSI is made at the same time ad a designation of the number of the called party and the TSI can be convenient rewritten every time a call-out is made. Also, even for facsimile terminals which support a ten-key keyboard only, a subaddress can still be transmitted by using a symbol to distinguish the TSI from the subaddress Also, even in an existing facsimile terminal which does not support a subaddress, a subaddress can be added to the TSI and transmitted by connecting the existing facsimile terminal to a facsimile adapter. Further, a broadcast can be made to one or a plurality of terminals connected to a facsimile server with one transmission thereto by effecting a subaddress designation to the facsimile server from the outside.
Further, a transformation of the data can be designated by designating a transformation service from the outside with a subaddress.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the invention which is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.